Western Caribbean with Mexico Cruise

Day 1 - Port Canaveral, Florida

Arrive: Sun 15 December 2024 / Depart: Sun 15 December 2024 at 15:30

Fans of the Apollo Space Program will remember watching rockets being launched from nearby Kennedy Space Center. From Jetty Park on the beach, occasional liftoffs can be observed. Port Canaveral is an environmentally sensitive area of major scale, with a rich wildlife habitat. Right Whales make an annual visit to the coastal waters off Port Canaveral to bear their young during the winter. Also, manatees have a long history of using the corridor between the Atlantic Ocean and the Banana River where the Port Authority is located. Manatees also use the Port area for playing, resting, reproduction, feeding, freshwater drinking, and as a warm-water refuge.

Day 2 - At Sea

Day 3 - At Sea

Day 4 - Roatan, Bay Islands

Arrive: Wed 18 December 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Wed 18 December 2024 at 17:00

Roatan, the largest of the Bay Islands of Honduras, is noted for its pristine coral reefs, beautiful beaches, lush tropical foliage, and friendly people. Christopher Columbus discovered the islands in 1502 while on his fourth voyage and over the years it has been controlled by both the British and Spanish, as well as pirates and traders. The first permanent population of Roatan originated from the Cayman Islands, arriving in the 1830s shortly after the end of slavery in British colonies. Today, the population is about 30,000. The main town and capital of the municipality is Coxen Hole. Roatan is a long, narrow island measuring 37 miles in length, located about 30 miles from the northern Honduran mainland. The island has a mountainous backbone that provides for some excellent hiking opportunities, panoramas and lush scenery. Surrounded by warm Caribbean waters, this hilly island (frequented by diving enthusiasts) is picturesque, unspoiled and can take claim to being one of the region's fastest developing destinations.

Day 5 - Belize

Arrive: Thu 19 December 2024 at 07:00 / Depart: Thu 19 December 2024 at 18:00

Located at the base of the Yucatan Peninsula, Belize offers travelers a wealth of attractions. The country's dense rain forest is dotted with Mayan ruins. The forest is also home to a wide range of tropical wildlife, ranging from jaguars and ocelots to keel-boated macaws and howler monkeys. Offshore, the world's second largest barrier reef offers some of the finest diving in the world. And Belize's easygoing ways, a legacy of its past as a British colony, feels far more akin to a small Caribbean island than a Central American republic.

Day 6 - Mahahual

Arrive: Fri 20 December 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Fri 20 December 2024 at 17:00

The sleepy fishing village of Mahahual is your gateway to Costa Maya. Here in the dense tropical forest and mangrove thickets of the southern Yucatan flourished the great Mayan civilization. During the Classic Period (200 - 1000 B.C.), the Maya erected elaborate stone cities of stepped pyramids, plazas, and palaces. Keen astronomers, they also developed a sophisticated mathematics, a highly accurate calendar, and a complex system of writing. Then, this fascinating culture literally disappeared as the Maya deserted their city complexes for the jungle interior. Today, visitors to Costa Maya can explore the ruins of the once great cities of Kohunlich, Dzibanché, and Chacchoben.

Day 7 - Cozumel

Arrive: Sat 21 December 2024 at 07:00 / Depart: Sat 21 December 2024 at 16:00

Mayan myth claims that Cozumel was home to the gods. Truly Cozumel is a place fit for the gods, with its dazzling white-sand beaches, ruined Mayan temples, exotic jungle wildlife, and crystalline waters teeming with tropical fish. Just offshore lay Palancar Reef, considered one of the most spectacular coral formations in all the Caribbean. Of course, the gods weren't the only individuals attracted to this terrestrial paradise: during its long and colorful history, Cozumel has been home to pirates, buccaneers, and freebooters, including Sir Henry Morgan and Jean Lafitte. Today's traveler will discover the same ravishing beauty and relaxation that entertained gods and pirates alike.

Day 8 - At Sea

Day 9 - Port Canaveral, Florida

Arrive: Mon 23 December 2024 at 07:00 / Depart: Mon 23 December 2024

Fans of the Apollo Space Program will remember watching rockets being launched from nearby Kennedy Space Center. From Jetty Park on the beach, occasional liftoffs can be observed. Port Canaveral is an environmentally sensitive area of major scale, with a rich wildlife habitat. Right Whales make an annual visit to the coastal waters off Port Canaveral to bear their young during the winter. Also, manatees have a long history of using the corridor between the Atlantic Ocean and the Banana River where the Port Authority is located. Manatees also use the Port area for playing, resting, reproduction, feeding, freshwater drinking, and as a warm-water refuge.